Ndamukong Suh (Associated Press file)
Spotlight on … Ndamukong Suh, defensive tackle, Lions
When: 2:20 p.m. Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
What’s up: This might be the best matchup among the NFL’s four first-round playoff games. That Suh gets to play is notable; the league initially suspended him from the playoff game after he stomped on the injured leg of Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers last week at Lambeau Field. Suh essentially won his appeal; he was fined $70,000 in lieu of a suspension.
Background: At Nebraska, Suh in his senior season of 2009 became the first defensive player to be named Associated Press national player of the year. He finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting and was the No. 2 pick in the 2010 draft. His pro career has been notable as much for his dirty play as for his all-pro selections. He’s been fined eight times, and was suspended two games in 2011 for stepping on Green Bay center Evan Dietrich-Smith. Yet because Suh had no infractions in his past 32 consecutive games, his prior offenses could not count against him during his latest discipline hearing.
Klis’ take: I’ve long complained the NFL serves as judge, jury and executioner during a player’s appeal. So why am I not happy that a player finally received a fair trial? The inconsistency of how the NFL metes out punishment is baffling. In this case, if the system didn’t fail Rodgers, it gave the Lions a chance against DeMarco Murray and the Cowboys. Rodgers is the NFL’s best player, and the league did not rule in favor of his safety. Suh accidentally stepped on Rodgers the first time. There’s no doubt he intentionally stepped on Rodgers the second time. If the Lions upset the Cowboys, the injustice of the NFL’s justice system will become a hotly debated topic for another week.
